Combustion apparatus



J. GOOD.

COMBUSTION APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, I917. RENEWED AUG. 24, 1920.

1,373,190; Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J'OHN GOOD, OF GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GOOD INVENTIONS 00., O1 BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COMBUSTION APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

Application filed June 13, 1917, Serial No. 174,413. Renewed August 24, 1920. Serial No. 405,752.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN G001), a United States citizen, residing in Garden city, Long Island, New York, have invented the following-described new and useful Improvements in Combustion Apparatus.

This invention is a heating apparatus of the general type disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,207,897, issued December 12, 1916, and is adapted to burn kerosene and heavier oils, or other liquid fuels, the fuel being atomized in a confined space at high velocity, ignited cold and non-explosively, and supplied with the proper proportion of' combustion-supporting air to produce a forced Y but continuous flame which may be conducted or directed by a tube to the part or parts to be heated. The main objects of my present invention are to insure the instantaneous and reliable ignition even though the temperature be extremely low, to permit of less accurate, and hence of more economic manufacture, assembly and adjustment of the parts and to render the a paratus generally more efiicient in action. Sue important feature of my invention contributing to these results, is a flap valve, baffle or other movable member, in the outlet from. the flamegenerating or igniting chamber which normally substantially closes said outlet but automatically moves to or toward open position upon the starting of the fuel atomizing operation.

. Although the invention is adaptable to a wide variety of uses, I have in mind particularly the use of it as a preliminary heater for the vaporizer of an internal combustion engine also burning kerosene or heavier oils. The desired results may be secured by various different forms of apparatus according to the specific character of the part or parts to be heated, and it is to be understood that the particular mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings is merely one of many different embodiments of my invention and that. the details of construction of the particular means illustrated are comparatively unimportant.

In these drawings,

Figure 1 represents, in side elevation, one form of this invention, the burner head being shown mainly in central vertical section, and

Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sections on the lines II--II and III-11]: respectively of Fig. 1.

The particular form of apparatus selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings is similar in some respects, to] that disclosed in my prior patent above referred to, in thatan air nozzle, from which air passes at high velocity, enters the end of a burner chamber substantially axially thereof and in aspirating relation to an oil nozzle. The atomized fuel spray produced by the operation of the two nozzles is intercepted by an electric igniter which ignites the fuel spray without explosion and without initial or pre liminary heating and accomplishes this effect even though the fuel be a liquid heavier than kerosene. Supplemental. air is supplied to the resulting flame to support combustion but at a point slightly beyond the igniting point. The present burner is however, arranged to operate with the axis of the spray vertical instead of horizontal, which conduces to various advantages in connection with combustion engines.

More specifically, the burner head or flame-generating part of the heating device includes two united parts 10 and 11, the former constituting a nozzle cap and the latter an air admission chamber. As de signed for use in a vertical position, the cap is at the bottom below the air admission chamber, and an air nozzle 12 and liquid nozzle 13 project upwardly through its lower end toward the air chamber. These two nozzles are conveniently made concentric and are in aspirating relation so that when air or other pressure is supplied to the nozzle 12 a fine spray of liquid will'be produced and discharged upwardly. The liquid nozzle communicates with a liquid supply receptacle 14 through which extends the tube 15 leading to the air nozzle. It will be understood that this receptacle may be supplied from any suitable source, and preferably has a float-controlled inlet valve, not shown, whereby the level is kept substantially constant during operation. The pressure on the liquid is equalized to that existing in the nozzle cap 10, through a hole 16 which also serves to return any excess liquid from the cap to the liquid receptacle and thereby keeps the interior of the burner head clean and the least likely to emit unpleasant odors.

The atomized fuel spray is intercepted by the two opposing electrodes 17 of an electric igniter which electrodes are carried on an insulating plug 18 like an ordinary spark plug, and are elongated to bring the spark gap in a position within the spray and near, but not exactly at, its axis and one of them is hook-shaped at its end as shown.

The air admission chamber, being of somewhat larger diameter-than the burner, has an air entrance 19 arranged tangentially and communicating with the supply pipe 20 for the. combustion supporting air. Extending through the air admission chamber and in axial alinement with the spray is a perforated annular wall 21 forming a thinwalled casing through which the flame passes and through the perforations of which the combustion-supporting air enters from the chamber 11. This annular perforated wall serves theimportant purpose of distributing the air uniformly around the flame. The annular wall as shown is frusto-conical with its larger end of substantially the same size as the nozzle cap and seated upon a shoulder 22 therein and above the igniter, while the smaller or upper end fits within an opening in the outer wall of the air admissionchamber and communicates with a closed flame tube 23 of any desired length.

Reliability of instant ignition under all circumstances is enhanced by a valve, baflie, or other equivalent movable member, normally substantially closing communication between the burner head and flame tube when the device is not in operation and which automatically moves to open position upon the establishment of ignition of the spray. One form of such a member consists of a hinged flap 24 betweenthe inlet end of the flame tube and the delivery end of the flame generating part or burner head. This flap is hinged along one straight side to a washer-likering 25 clamped between the flame tube and burner head and serving as a seat for the flap. The flap closes on its seat in the present case by gravity alone and is made of such wei ht and has such freedom of movement t at while it will normally remain on its seat even though the air supplying apparatus be in operation, it will rise to open position immediately on the establishment of, flame in the liead. Although the igniter is energized simultaneously with the delivery of air the effect is to produce a slight lag in ignition but with very certain igniting results. The flap operates to prevent the free escape of the air and spray from the flameegenerating part of the head at the instant of the beginning of the operation and thereby aids in preventinga condition of spray or mixture which is otherwise likely to forestall prompt ignition. Self-opening closures of various wei hts I may be used with the same ultimate e ect The fuel-atomizing medium delivered to nozzle 12 and the combustion-supporting a ir delivered to the inlet 19 through pipe 20 may be taken from any suitable source, for example, an air compressor 26 in the form of a geared or positive pump supplies the pipe 15 with atomizing air and a fan blower 27 supplies the pipe 20. These may be operated from a common shaft 28 so that upon the rotation of this shaft, air will be delivered both for spraying and combustion supporting. The articular means illustrated for supplying the air is not essential to this invention and may be replaced by other mechanism such for example as that illustrated in my prior patent and as in that patent the rotation of the drive shaft 28 may also drive a magneto or other electrical device which delivers a sparking current to the igniter simultaneously with the production of the fuel spray. Or as shown in Fig. 1, the drive shaft may be driven by an electric motor 29 shown in rear of the blower 27 under the control of a switch or push button, such as 30 which also energizes the spark .coil 31 to render the igniter active. Thus the operation of the single switch device automatically establishes ignition and combustion and continues the same for as long as desired, the opening of the switch producing an immediate cessation of combustion by discontinuing the supply of fuel.

I claim:

1. The combination of a passage to be heated, a burner head in communication .therewith having connections with air and fuel supplies, means for igniting the fuel in said head and means for initially obstructingthe free flow of gases from said burner head to said passage.

2. In apparatus of the kind described, the combination of a passage to be heated, a burner head and igniting chamber in communication therewith having a fuel atomizing means, means for igniting the atomized fuel, means for supplying combustion-supporting air, and means for automatically opening communication between said igniting chamber and said passage after the starting of the fuel spraying operation.

3. In apparatus of the kind'described, the combination of a flame tube, a perforated annular casing having one end communicating therewith, means for spraying liquid fuel into the opposite end of said casing, means for igniting said spray, means for delivering combustion-supporting air through said casing, and means for initially obstructing the free flow of gases from said casing to said flame tube.

means for igniting said fuel in the head and means normally preventing communication between said burner head and said passage and automatically opening after the starting of the fuel delive 5. An apparatus 0? the class described, including an annular, vertically disposed, perforated casing, and containing means for spraying and igniting fuel, means for delivering combustion supporting air through the perforations of said casing, a flame tube connected to the upper end of said casing, and a gravity operated automatically opening valve member at the lower end of said flame tube.

6. Apparatus of the kind described comprising a vertically disposed closed burner head connected to a flame passage at its upper extremity .and containing means for producing an upwardly directed atomized liquid fuel vspray substantially central of said head, and an electric igniter intercepting saidspray within the head, and containing also an air admission and distributing means above said igniter, in combinationwith a source of pressure to operate said spray-producing means and to supply combustion-supporting air to said; air admission and distributing means, and means for energizing said ignlter.

7 Apparatus of the kind described comprising a vertically disposed closed burner head formed of an upper air-admission chamber connected to a flame passage at its upper end and a lower chambercontaining means for atomizing and projecting upwardly a liquid fuel spray, and containing also an electric igniter directly intercepting said spray, a liquid receptacle to supply said atomizing means, havin a pressure equalizing communication wit said lower chamber, in combination with air supplying apparatus supplying air to both chambers and electrical apparatus for coincidently energizing said igniter.

8. Apparatus of .the kind described comprising a vertically disposed closed burner head formed of an upper air-admission chamber connected at its upper nd to a flame passage of relatively narrow iameter, and a lower chamber containing means for atomizing and projecting upwardly a liquid fuel spray, andan electric igniter directly intercepting said spray, and a liquid fuel supply receptacle below said lower chamber, said spraying. means comprising nozzle members extending upwardly through said, lower chamber, in combination with aircompressin apparatus supplying air to said admission c amber and nozzle ,members and means for coincidently energizing the igniter. V

9. Combustion ap aratus comprlsm air forcmg mechanism elivermg air to a c osed burner head, a fuel nozzle conducting liquid fuel thereto from an external receptacle and a communication between said head and receptacle adapted to communicate the pressure of the former to the latter.

10. Combustion apparatus comprising air forcing mechanism delivering air to a closed burner head, a fuel nozzle conducting liquid fuel thereto from an external, receptacle and a passage between the lower part of said head and the receptacle adapted to drain liquid fuel from the former to the latter.

11. Combustion apparatus comprising a Vertical chamber having an upwardly direct ed fuel spra ing means mounted in the lower part thereo ,and connected at its upper end to a flame passage of relatively smaller diameter, an electric igniter mounted in said chamber with electrodes intercepting the upwardly directed spray, an entrance for combust1on-supporting air disposed in position to mix such air with the spray beyond its point of interception by the igniter and means for supplying. air through said entrance in proportion to establish substantially complete combustion in said chamber and passage.

. 12. In apparatus of the kind described, a vertically disposed closed burner head comprising an upper air-admission chamber connected at its upper end to a flame tube of relatively narrow diameter and containing an airdistributing, shell and a lower cham er containing means for atomizing and proiecting upwardly a liquid fuel spray centra 1y of said shell and also containing an electric spark igniter directly intercepting said spray and a liquid fuel supply receptacleconnected to said lower chamber in combination with means for coincidently supplying air to said upper chamber and said spraying means and for energizing said igniter.

13. In apparatus of the kind described a vertically disposed, closed burner head comprising an upper airadmission chamber connected at its upper end to a flame tube and containing a thin-walled air-distributing member, a lower chamber containing means for atomizing and projecting upwardl'y. a 1i uid fuel spray into theupper chamber an containing an electric spark igniter directly intercepting said spray, a

llquid receptacle to supply said.atomizin means and a drain hole in the bottom of'sai lower chamber leading to said receptacle, in combination with air compressing apparatus su plying air to both chambers and means or comcidently' energizing said igniter. i In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

JOHN soon. 

